Various physical infirmities, illnesses, disabilities, and age are known to affect the ability of many individuals to write with a conventional, linear writing instrument. For example, younger people, whose hands and coordination are not yet fully developed, often find it very difficult to hold or move a conventional writing instrument across paper. Older people, whose hands may suffer from a malady like arthritis or whose coordination may falter, experience similar difficulties. Still others have disabilities (like cerebral palsy, Alzheimers, Parkinson disease, and other neurological dysfunctions) which cause the writer's hand to pulse and tremble uncontrollably--making written words difficult to create. In still other cases, people are missing digits and cannot grasp a conventional, linear, writing implement like a pen, crayon, chalk, or pencil.
In each of these classes of people, the writer is frustrated by the inability to write efficiently and accurately even a simple letter. Such frustration may undermine self esteem. Moreover, the writer may become isolated from friends and society because written communication may be virtually impossible. Many employment opportunities may be beyond reach; jobs often require writing skills and preclude spending an inordinate amount of time and effort on the task of writing.
Accordingly, many attempts have been made in the past to provide devices which would enable the user to more efficiently and legibly write with a steady and evenly controlled writing motion. A majority of these devices require the user to grip the conventional writing instrument, typically a pen or pencil, and include a bearing surface for movement across the paper. Such devices are unsuccessful because many of the physically challenged people mentioned above cannot hold a pen or pencil and apply the required pressure to write.
Other known devices provide a relatively large rollable or slidable support designed to be grasped by the entire hand. Many people cannot grasp the support--even with the entire hand. Moreover, these devices require that the conventional writing instrument either be held by the fingers, a requirement beyond the abilities of many, or affixed to the device, a requirement which makes it difficult to maintain sufficient control and pressure to write.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,566 (issued to Kenwell) discloses a travelling hand support for aiding the handicapped to write. The support has a body and a head cantilevered from the body for holding a conventional writing instrument (e.g., pen or pencil). A chamber is provided in the body to hold extra pens. The bottom of the body is beveled so that the support can be tipped easily about a pivot point. Once tipped, the support automatically applies the pressure necessary for writing without adjustment and without requiring finger or arm movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,119 (issued to Hartford et al.) discloses a handwriting stabilizer used to steady the hand while writing. The stabilizer includes an ergonomically shaped body, able to adjust automatically to either a right or left hand, and a bore. On one end of the ink cartridge, which is placed in the bore and is disposables is a writing point. The writing point can be retracted into the bore when the stabilizer is not in use. A glide bump is provided on the bottom of the stabilizer, in the plane of the writing point, to allow the stabilizer to traverse the writing surface. The glide bump may include a ball bearing. A cap may be placed over the writing point to prevent the point from drying or marking when not in use.
The combined hand support and writing instrument holder of U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,517 (issued to Ertz) has a contoured body fabricated from a light-weight, easily molded material such as plastic, polyester resin, or the like. The contoured body corresponds to the dimensions of the average hand and is symmetrical to accommodate both right and left-handed users. The rear of the body functions as a wrist support and the head of the body holds a conventional writing instrument. The bottom of the body has a planar surface, which allows the user to slide the body along the writing surface, and a pivot point, which allows the user to rock the body and relocate the writing instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,272 (issued to Brown et al.) discloses a writing prosthesis including a base secured to the user's forearm. That base supports the wrist. A head portion of the base holds a conventional writing instrument. A glide system, formed by wheels or rollers which contact the writing surface, is provided. The user starts and ends characters by rocking the base about a pivot point or fulcrum and controls the prosthesis by applying only the residual proximal muscles.
In summary, although many devices are designed to help the young, old, and disabled, they focus on improving the ability to grasp conventional writing implements using the fingers. There remains a need, therefore, for a hand writing device which focuses on improving the control and transfer of motion between the hand and the stylus without reliance on grasping, gripping, holding, or finger control.